Abukari Mohammed: How a lack of exposure is blocking the shine of Chereponi's most talented footballer

Ghana football has steadily grown to the point where the nation has talented players spread across every part of the globe.

Those who fall within the former bracket have a cut out path to success, and in most cases end up as professional footballers. The latter category, though, is the story of young Abukari Mohammed Jambara who hails from Chereponi.

The man who is affectionately called Akalo is a household name in his home city, however, he has had very little push to attain the heights that his eyes are set on.

As a player from a rural area, the indigenes are not new to his talent, but by virtue of his geographical location, Akalo's dreams of becoming a professional footballer are at risk of not being realised.

Chereponi is not Accra or Kumasi. It is not even close to Tamale. It is not a city with good pitches to train. And the best you will come close to is a dusty ground, with no green grasses to play on.

Yet, Akalo's potential is conspicuous for all to see.

Abukari Mohammed: How a lack of exposure is blocking the shine of Chereponi's most talented footballer

As a village located in the Northern Region of Ghana, not many scouts visit Chereponi to look out for good players. And that only means that Akalo's true talents may never be truly appreciated nationwide.

Where is this young lad going to get the exposure from? For a country that struggles to even give exposure to players playing in the Ghana Premier League, how then can a player far away in the farming areas of Chereponi be even spotted, let alone given the platform to shine.

The highest he has reached in his fledgling football career is playing in the Division Two league.

Currently, he lines up for the Chereponi town team, where he is captain of the side. But his enormous talent was bare even at a tender age of 15. Back then he was just a young boy with a dream to be taken in by one of the country's academies.

However, his giftedness led to him breaking into the town team even as a teenager.

Akalo has since been training and playing with the side, patiently waiting for the day when he will finally gain the needed exposure to showcase his talent on a bigger stage.

Akalo's potential is conspicuous for all to see.

In Chereponi he is a hero; they see him as the next big thing and the people are proud to see one of their own striving to make it to the top.